Bern

Actually, you show your ignorance of how Stalin and Hitler worked their way into positions of power. Hitler appealed to the masses and industrialists (the Krups and so forth). Stalin was very personable, working less with the masses. Instead, Stalin (hard working but jolly Joe) worked his way up by gaining the trust of his peers, becoming the first citizen or comrade. But the dynamics of Hitler's and Stalin's rise were very similar. The new replacing the old, promising change, men of the people, causing the masses and their peers to become infatuated with them. There too were warnings, and they were disregarded. Obama's rise and the infatuation held for Obama is eerily similar to Hitler's and Stalin's rise. This infatuation, this trust and the charisma Obama exudes did not extend to previous presidential candidates. I'm not saying that Obama will be a Hitler or a Stalin. No one is perfect and one should beware and always be prepared. The danger is that Obama will constantly be given a pass when making poor decisions because he's a charismatic politician of change, who so many are infatuated with. Its a fact that societies or mankind do not learn from history.

You're so excitable and it seems very sensitive. Again the Hillary to McCain switchers are painted as petty and stupid by the likes of you. Your arrogant and downright nasty "we know best" attitude is not how you win over people. Could it be that some of them actually look at the issues? Maybe they looked at things, such as this NY times editorial endorsing McCain, and liked what they saw:

Do you really, really know Obama's tax plan? Or have you been infected by Obama's campaign sound bites? If you did, you would know that Obama's plan relies on the Bush type of fiscal policy. Smoke and mirrors. Does that make Bush's fiscal policy a fine policy?

I admit I'm not an expert on Law Schools. My degrees are in education and pharmaceutical sciences. Last week, I saw an acquaintance who is the president of a college. I brought up my feeling that the "Professor" title is overused and denigrated. I told her that in Obama's case the usage is to give him undeserved gravitas. She felt the same, being mildly disturbed that Professor titles are thrown about in a cavalier fashion. But then what does she know? She's only president of a medium size college which does not have a law school. My friends and acquaintances at Columbia feel the same. But then again, the ones I deal with are from the Medical and Health schools, not the law school. Have all these individuals have lost their grip on reality? Having said that, most of them support Obama. They realize in politics aggrandizement is part of the game. Also, they don't directly blame Obama for the "overuse" of that title. I think they blame his supporters more, the ones who are not in education and don't realize the protocols and certifications needed for these titles. Academics take their titles very seriously. Are lawyers and judges different? I guess this may be similar to some large banks where most exempt employees have the title of VP. They get the title on their business cards and wave them around, telling all their acquaintances they are VP's. But they have no one to supervise and are busy figuring out how to live well on their low salaries. The real VP's are the Managing Directors, Senior VP's and Executive VP's. Banks do that because "titles" keep salaries down. I once told a VP he's an ass (he screwed something up really bad, for no good reason) and the VP responded I'm in trouble for saying that to him, an employee and a VP. Unfortunately, for the VP, the MD walking by heard his response, whereupon the MD commented something like "Don't you know we piss on our VP's." Courageous, in this day and age of litigation and Human Resources.

Are you saying is that the students are spending so much time focusing on their clothes that they don't focus on their school work? That doesn't make any sense, at all. There are many issues, but school clothing is not an issue that drives down academic excellence. Clothing issues sometimes lead to disciplinary problems, but an intelligent administration can handle that without resorting to uniforms. Usually, in public schools, uniforms are brought up by administrations as a diversion from their educational failings. A nice side issue to keep the public happy.

The comparison is valid because we don't know what we will get. I know its exciting to many that a black man is running for president. And as stated by many of his supporters, he does seem intelligent and is articulate. I agree he's intelligent. We'll see how articulate he is during the free wheeling debates (which Obama has limited to three). The fact that Obama is looked upon by many so highly with such passion tells me we may have issues. Previously, I've detailed some of his inconsistencies, a warning to us that all is not as it seems. Will he be given a pass simply because he's charismatic, seems articulate and is intelligent? For example, Obama stated in his Iraq trip that we must win Afghanistan and if need be we will have to ramp up there. So, he's changing the war theater from Iraq to Afghanistan, which could be a much worse hell hole. If we ramp up so much that we will get a draft, will the articulate man of the people Obama, get a pass? Or more likely, we will end up being heavily bogged down in Afghanistan, but because its under Obama's presidency, its all right? You never know what you get until the individual is in power. Hitler and Stalin who were articulate "peace loving" orators who fooled the people. There were warning signs which were ignored. When I hear about change and movement, I get nervous. It is a promise that has been given before

The congress owes the president little deference. The deference should be from the president to the congress, which constitutionally is given the job to declare war and fund the whole government (which includes the military). If the executive branch refuses to give congress needed info, then subpoena it. You cannot enact good laws and set intelligent national policy when the congress is denied information. If the executive refuses the subpoena then impeach and remove the president. If the congress asserted its powers, you will find the executive branch will come to heel very quickly. Do you really believe our constitutional founders believed in the unitary executive or felt the executive can be trusted? No way. They had enough of kings and distrusted a powerful executive. That is why they gave the congress, a large group of men, a power not given to other branches of the government. The power to remove members from their and the other two branches.

Thank you for validating my statement.

Obama Messiah infatuation.

Yes, I know that. My point is why do Obamites always have to put in he's a "Professor of Law."

Cut the crap. He's not a real professor. Goebbels disagrees but repeating a lie does not make it true. You know and I know that the Professor title is constantly used by the Obamites to prop up Obama as a learned constitutional scholar, a Professor of Law. Which is why the likes of you don't use his real title, Senior Lecturer. So, whenever Obama makes a statement that is questioned, the statement can always be followed up with the "fact" that he is a "Professor of Law" and therefore must know what he is doing. Propaganda for the simple. His title is a joke. Maybe where you come from or hang out, his title is taken seriously. I and the faculty members I know, know it is a joke and frankly they are insulted that the title is denigrated.

Many politicians make gaffes. Its not a big deal. Ask Bush. What is interesting is Biden's apparent endorsement of McCain of Obama dugring one ot the debats Many Democrats are now making a big deal about Biden - the experience he brings to the ticket and his gravitas. I'll quote someone else on that:

The post I was responding to talked about McCain being rich and therefore out of touch. Which is what I addressed in my response.

They all do that. In Obama's case it is or was Jon Favreau. Obama can also write his own speeches. He has claimed to have written the speech he gave at the 2004 DNC convention. The problem is Obama may not be good at the give and take of real political debate, where he cannot use the staff prepared canned soundbite scripts. Which explains why he refused to do townhalls with Clinton and refuses to do them now with McCain and has limited the number of national political debates to three (McCain wanted more). Obama and his campaign claim to be very open, with the "new Way" of doing things. However, it seems the only access Obama wants the common public to have is when Obama has prepared speeches and through his adverts.

Spare me the professor of Constitutional Law title. Its an insult to real professors, a joke, somewhat disingenuous. I wish the Obamites would stop bringing that up. A very nice title even though he is really a Senior Lecturer, who has taught three courses. A bit aggrandizement that the University is party to. I guess its done for the politically connected and the powerful. Obama has never done the academic work, research and gone through the credential process to earn the actual title of Professor.

Why so many bring up insipid posts on typos?

If you have the IQ of a potato.

You're not looking at my comparison correctly. I guess the point I was trying to make escaped you. So be offended. Lately, I'm noticing that a lot in the US of A are "offended". We've become such a sensitive people and with so many special needs. It seems half of the population would be very happy if they were placed into the "nanny state nursing home." The flag issue? Obama folded the minute the Republicans brought it up. Hopefully he'll do better in the world stage with Russia, China, Iran, EU. What real issues are you struggling with? Please enlighten me.

Today I read in NJ Monthly that Kearny is near the bottom of the NJ public high school ranking. Kearny is ranked 235 out of 316. The low SAT scores reflect this. Great job geniuses - focusing on uniforms instead of uplifting the general education of the school. Well maybe, Kearny will get a high ranking in the school uniform category. Your school motto could be "We aint got no education, but we got uniforms".

I know McCain is not "everyman" and he should stop playing the "elitist" game. However, are you saying its bad to have a lot of money? If you're rich, you should be prevented from serving in office? Like the Kennedy's. John Kennedy was rich because his family is. Does that mean we should not have elected our late Pres Kennedy because he may have been out of touch? Not a man of the people? While we're at it, let us also get rid of Bloomberg and Corzine. This whole debate on who has the most money or is most out of touch is infantile.

I think Obama is intelligent. Also slick and disingenuous, as documented in one of my previous posts. To speak well and act intelligent does not guarantee "quality." Hitler and Stalin had both attributes.

Actually, Obama is pro-choice. But I don't think he's in favor of late term abortions. As far as drinking and drug use - what goes around, comes around. I've heard many denigrate Bush because of his drinking and supposed drug use. Comments such as Bush is the way he is because his abuse burned out his brain. Then don't be surprised when the same argument is used against Obama.

Don't be too happy. Your party has its share --- Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar. Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced prison after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him. Republican city councilman Joseph Monteleone Jr. was found guilty of fondling underage girls. Republican congressional aide Jeffrey Nielsen was arrested for having sex with a 14-year old boy. Republican County Commissioner Patrick Lee McGuire surrendered to police after allegedly molesting girls between the ages of 8 and 13. Republican Mayor Jeffrey Kyle Randall was sentenced to 275 days in jail for molesting two boys -- ages ten and 12 -- during a six-year period. Republican County Board Candidate Brent Schepp was charged with molesting a 14-year old girl and killed himself three days later. Republican Congressman Mark Foley abruptly resigned from Congress after "sexually explicit" emails surfaced showing him flirting with a 16-year old boy. Republican executive Randall Casseday of the conservative Washington Times newspaper pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a 13-year old girl on the internet. Republican chairman of the Oregon Christian Coalition Lou Beres confessed to molesting a 13-year old girl. Republican County Constable Larry Dale Floyd pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting sex from an 8-year old girl. Floyd has repeatedly won elections for Denton County, Texas, constable. Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation. Republican Party leader Bobby Stumbo was arrested for having sex with a 5-year old boy. Republican petition drive manager Tom Randall pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 14, one of them the daughter of an associate in the petition business. Republican County Chairman Armando Tebano pleaded guilty to fondling a 14-year-old girl. Republican teacher and former city councilman John Collins pleaded guilty to sexually molesting 13 and 14 year old girls. Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls. Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17. Republican Committeeman John R. Curtin was convicted of molesting an underage teenage boy and sentenced to serve six to 18 months in prison. Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida. Republican zoning supervisor, Boy Scout leader and Lutheran church president Dennis L. Rader pleaded guilty to performing a sexual act on an 11-year old girl he murdered. Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor. Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl. Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile. Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl. Republican advertising consultant Carey Lee Cramer was sentenced to six years in prison for molesting two 8-year old girls, one of whom appeared in an anti-Gore television commercial. Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail. Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children. Republican campaign chairman Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child and was arrested again five years later on the same charge. Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page. Republican Judge Ronald C. Kline pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer. Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped. Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD. Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography. Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media. Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl. Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her. Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl. Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy. Republican legislator Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children). Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was found guilty of molesting a 15-year old girl. Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child. Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl. Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters. Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl. Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy. Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison. Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000. Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession. Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet. Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer," was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter. Republican campaign worker, police officer and self-proclaimed reverend Steve Aiken was convicted of having sex with two underage girls. Republican director of the "Young Republican Federation" Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison. Republican president of the New York City Housing Development Corp. Russell Harding pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer. Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was found guilty of raping a 15-year old girl. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren, has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women.

This is more than one thread and many posts but I have yet to see anyone willing to say they will fight it. Maybe after it starts. Very few are as courageous as Matthew LaClair or have supportive parents.